It has been confirmed by MarutiSuzuki officials that they will launch A-Star on 19th November. Also A-star’s official website is up and Maruti is going to make debut of A-star in true bollywood style…!!
The new models has been designed by Rajesh Kumar Gogu and Saurabh Singh of Maruti Suzuki India, A-Star, which is a five-door hatchback; has been engineered keeping in mind the trends and standards of the European market.
Maruti’s Alto and M800 will soon see a true competetior in the form of new Spark800 . It will be fitted with an 800cc petrol engine. This is the same engine which powered the Daewoo Matiz.
The 795cc, 6valve unit pumps out 49 Bhp and torque of 68.6 Nm @ 4600 rpm. Chevrolet is also planning to launch CNG & LPG variants of Spark.
Honda’s Indian arm, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Limited (HMSI) rolled out a gorgeous looking motorcycle in the month of August this year called the HondaCBF Stunner 125. Based on the ever popular Honda Shine, this new bike borrows the chassis and powerplant from the Shine, albeit with a 5-speed transmission.
This same motorcycle will now be available in Europe across Honda dealerships as the Honda CBF 125. There is no change in the dynamics or styling for the European model and the 124.7cc mill has exact same power output of 11.1PS and 11Nm of torque as its Indian twin. The only two improvements on the European model come in the form of Honda’s reputed Fuel Injection system, to stay within UK’s stringent EURO-3 emission norms and stickies Continental Contigo tyres.
This step clearly indicates the increasing demand for small capacity bikes and the biking trends changing in Europe owing to rising fuel costs, the EU norms and for comfortable commuting through crowded cities like London and Paris.
Ford is going to launch the new Ikon TDCi on November 5. It would come with facelifted front and spruced up interiors. A kink in the headlamps, redesigned aggressive front bumper and reshaped bonnet would give the ikon a modern look. Tail lamp cluster also gets refreshed.
While the change inside the ikon will be limited to instrument cluster. With the facelift, new ikon will also get a new heart - 1.4 Diesel. New Ikon TDCi gets the1.4L turbocharged diesel which also powers the fiesta. High pressure common rail diesel engine pumps out 68PS of maximum power at 4000rpm and 160Nm of maximum torque.
India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India, opened its new petrol engine plant on Tuesday. The plant will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 2,40,000 fuel efficient KB series petrol engines. These petrol engines will be primarily used for its new model A-Star slated for a launch in India. The commencement of the new petrol engine plant from Maruti is in line with its target to achieve sales of one million by 2010-11.
“The new engine series is an important step towards attaining the target sales of a million units in the domestic market by 2010-11. The operational capacity of our plant has reached the million mark,” said Shinzo Nakanishi, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director. “This new engine is highly fuel efficient while also offering best in refinement and performance. It will take engine technology to the next level in India,” he added.
The new KB engine will be introduced into other models after the A-star. The new power plant will also be used in the new redesigned Alto and Nissan Pixo. The new KB series engine complies with BS III emission norms as well as Euro IV and Euro V standards and it will also power the export models of the company.
Tata Nano will soon have a competitor from Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. Bajaj-Renault-Nissan have already announced to launch their Nano competitor in the Indian market and Honda Motor Company from Japan recently shook hands with Siddharth Sriram Group to launch a second small car in India.
The new small car will be a 600cc car that will be launched in the B or B+ segment. The 600cc K-series engine, currently being sold only in Japan, will power the new car model in India. It will roll out from the Rajasthan manufacturing facility and will be designed specifically for the Indian driving conditions.
The company also plans to launch its hatchback model, Jazz, in India which is a premium model powered by a 1200cc engine. It will be available in India by 2009.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) has launched the new ‘FuelSmart’ system on the Scorpio and Bolero multi-utility vehicles. This technology has been introduced on the Scorpio M2DI and Bolero SLX BS3 variants.
Developed by the Mahindra R&D team, along with inputs from Bosch, Mahindra FuelSmart system, with its Micro-Hybrid technology, enables the engine to switch off automatically at a traffic light, when idle and in neutral gear. The engine starts seamlessly, automatically, once the driver depresses the clutch before moving forward.
This stop-start system is based on the principle of not burning fuel when it is not required. The FuelSmart system automatically detects when the vehicle is stationary with the engine idling, and stops the engine automatically. This conserves fuel, reduces running costs, and reduces emissions. The savings may not be huge for one single vehicle, but when one considers a scenario where a very large number of vehicles are equipped with this technology, the collective savings will be massive!
Murli Deora, Union Petroleum Minister said, ‘Innovative technologies like the Mahindra FuelSmart system with Micro-Hybrid technology will help the government achieve its sustainable energy goals. Initiatives such as this will serve as a benchmark in India’s sustainable energy programme.’
‘The Mahindra FuelSmart system reflects our commitment to sustainable growth. This initiative is part of our Sustainable Mobility Solutions programme which seeks to pioneer technologies that are not only fuel-efficient and innovative, but also environment friendly,’ said Keshub Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group.
‘This technology was specially created keeping in mind the heavy traffic congestion drivers have to face on our roads today. An incremental cost of only Rs 3,800 makes the Mahindra FuelSmart System quite affordable. Therefore, it can be used across a large number of vehicles and make a significant difference to energy consumption,’ said Dr Pawan Goenka, President - Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
